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Update on Essential Works at 64a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin
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The Essential Works are well underway at Catherine's House, 64a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. We took part in a hard-hat walk through the house last week and we are delighted to be able to share with you some of the images of the work.
We have also prepared a set of Frequently Asked Questions which cover much of the detail of this phase of the work.
We hope to be back in the House in July 2026 in time to welcome our Young Mercy Leaders. In the meantime we will continue to share regular updates on the Essential Works, so please keep an eye on our website and our social media pages and subscribe to our Mercy eNews.
MELF Cohort Five Reflecting on Human Rights
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Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Water - Reflection by Mary Kanyi RSM, Kenya
Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Water - Reflection by Mary Kanyi RSM, Kenya
"Guaranteeing universal access to clean, safe and affordable water is not only a humanitarian duty but a moral imperative. It requires collective action, global solidarity, and a long-term commitment to justice and sustainability. When we protect the right to water, we protect life itself. And by ensuring water for all, we create the foundations for a more just, equitable and thriving world - today and for generations to come."
Mary Kanyi RSM, Kenya
MELF Cohort Five
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Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Education - Reflection by Pamela McLoughlin, Ireland
Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Education - Reflection by Pamela McLoughlin, Ireland
In our DEIS school, the right to education doesn't just mean exams and points. It means a breakfast to start the day right, a safe place to talk, teachers who genuinely care, and support when life gets complicated. When we listen to the voices of our students, we hear hope, courage, fairness and pride. They remind us that the UDHR is not just a document - it is a promise. And here in Coolock, we honour that promise every day by building a school where every child feels capable, included, safe and celebrated for who they are.
Pamela McLoughlin, Dublin
MELF Cohort Five
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Human Rights Day 2025
Freedom from Discrimination - Reflection by Tatiana Diaz, USA
Human Rights Day 2025
Freedom from Discrimination - Reflection by Tatiana Diaz, USA
"Catherine McAuley emphasized care for those mariginalized by society - whether due to poverty, gender, race or social status. [UDHR] Article 2 echoes that commitment by affirming that no distinction should limit a person's access to fundamental rights or the services we offer across the world through our many Mercy ministries. As people of Mercy, we are called not only to reject such distinctions but to actively dismantle barriers that deny others their full humanity."
Tatiana Diaz, USA
MELF Cohort Five
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Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Rest and Leisure - Reflection by Saska Sertimer, Guyana
Human Rights Day 2025
Human Right to Rest and Leisure - Reflection by Saska Sertimer, Guyana
"By securing time for rest, Article 24 protects both physical and mental wellbeing, ensuring that people can function safely, effectively, and with dignity. Article 24 acknowledges a simple truth: a meaningful life requires more than work. Every person deserves the opportunity to restore their energy, enjoy leisure and experience a life beyond their labour. Upholding this right affirms the inherent value of every human being and supports a more just, healthy and humane society."
Saska Sertimer, Guyana
MELF Cohort Five
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
12 December 1831
Foundation Day; Profession of Catherine McAuley, Mary Ann Doyle and Elizabeth Harley
14 December 1874
Death in Bermondsey of Foundress M Clare Moore.
15 November 1840
M Rose Lynch professed, Baggot St.
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Opening Doors - Youth
Booking is open for our Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage 2026
An exciting and fulfilling programme has been planned for our Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage in Dublin from 28th to 31st July 2026. We look forward to welcoming young people from Third-Level Colleges and Universities from across the Mercy World. Booking is open - check out our early-bird offer now.
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MIA
Take Five with MIA's Caroline Thompson
Caroline Thompson has has recently joined Mercy International Association as Head of Heritage and Spirituality. She sat down and took five minutes with us to chat about her life, her career to date and her new role with MIA.
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Mercy Echoes Podcast
Episode Nine of our Mercy Echoes Podcast is live
Our guest for episode nine of our Mercy Echoes Podcast is Mary Pat Garvin RSM. Mary Pat was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious last August, marking her decades of service to congregations of religious and their members around the world. She spoke to us about her life and ministry and the changing face of religious life.
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MIA
Message for Foundation Day 2025
Read the message from our CEO Mary O'Donovan for Foundation Day - 12th December 2025. In her message Mary says: "On Foundation Day 2025, we pause in gratitude and hope as we mark the anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of Mercy. Catherine’s vision was simple and radical - that people who are vulnerable, poor, and forgotten should know compassion not as a privilege, but as a right. Her way of Mercy was bold, relational, and always attuned to the needs of the moment."
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200th Anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy
200th Anniversary of Catherine McAuley's House of Mercy
On 24th September 2027 we will mark the 200th anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy at 64a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin in 1827. On 24 January 2026 we will begin the countdown to this significant anniversary and launch the official bi-centenary logo. We invite you to save the date and keep an eye on our website and social media pages for more information.
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Follow our Daily Mercy Moment
We invite you to follow our daily #MercyMoment on our website and on our social media (Facebook and Instagram). Our daily pause for reflection is available in English and Spanish and offers an inspiring, thought-provoking quote from the Mercy World and beyond. You can access all our reflections in our FLICKR archive too!
Worth Reading)
Worth Knowing
Catherine McAuley Symposium in New Zealand
From 13–15 December 2026, Whānau Mercy Ministries and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington will host a three-day Catherine McAuley Symposium at Rutherford House. Inspired by the 200th anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy (1827), the symposium will explore the impact of religion across education, healthcare, and social services, grounded in Catherine McAuley’s intent “to serve God faithfully.”
Worth Knowing)
Worth Watching
Sr Helen Culhane rsm features in Heroes of Hope Series
Sr Helen Culhane RSM is the Founder of the Children's Greif Centre in Limerick, Ireland. She was recently chosen by the Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy as one of the Jubilee Year Heroes of Hope. In this video she talks about how she heard and answered the call to respond to the 'struggles of today'.
Worth Watching)
Worth Knowing
Celebrating 180 Years Since the Arrival of the First Sisters of Mercy in Australia
A Mass will be celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth on 8th January 2026 to mark 180 years since the arrival of the first Sisters of Mercy in Australia and to give thanks for the tens of thousands of women and men who have been inspired by by Catherine McAuley’s expression of Mercy in the years that have followed.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Knowing
Pontifical Yearbook now available online with information on global Church
For the first time, the Vatican's official Pontifical Yearbook is available in a fully digital version, accessible via web browser and mobile app. The new platform offers data on the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, Dioceses, Religious Institutes, and Apostolic Nunciatures. The project was jointly developed by the Secretariat of State and the Dicastery for Communication, and was presented recently to Pope Leo XIV.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Reading
Advent Through the Lens of Mercy
We have been sharing a series of reflections for Advent 2025 on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Our final reflection in the series will be available this week, but you can read the series on our website.
Worth Reading)
Worth Reading
Out in Africa: A Mater of Partnership
Last month a self-funding delegation of six healthcare professionals from the Mater Hospital in Dublin travelled to Kenya to deepen and strengthen their long-standing relationship with the Mater Hospital in Nairobi. The delegation took part in a comprehensive programme while there, blending workshops, collaborative learning and operations that shape their shared mission. see pages 8 and 9 in their Mission Mater's Magazine.
Worth Reading)
Worth Playing
For the past 10 years, Angela Reed RSM has been responsible for our Global Action programme where she has supported linkages between the justice programmes of MIA member organisations and ensured that Mercy stories are incorporated into international advocacy at the United Nations. As she departed MIA, Angela joined us on our Mercy Echoes podcast to reflect on her time leading Mercy Global Action.
Worth Listening)
Mercy eNews
The newsletter of Mercy International Association is published monthly and distributed to subscribers via email. If you have any queries about the newsletter, please contact mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie
For more information on the directors click here
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